<p>TikTok is launching in-app guided meditation exercises, the social network announced on Thursday. The company began testing the meditation exercises with select teens earlier this year and is now making the feature available to all users on its app. The idea behind the feature is to help users improve their sleep quality and encourage them [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Google announced on Thursday that it&#8217;s rolling out new AI and accessibility features to Android and Chrome. Most notably, TalkBack, Android’s screen reader, now lets you ask Gemini about what&#8217;s in images and what&#8217;s on your screen. Last year, Google brought Gemini&#8217;s capabilities to TalkBack to give people who are blind or have low vision [&hellip;]</p>

<p>For years, big tech companies like Amazon and Google have been trying to make virtual try-ons engaging to encourage consumers to shop more online. Startups also tried to solve for inspiration and fit in fashion using AI. A new startup called Doji is now entering this space with an app designed to make apparel try-ons [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Savings and investing startup Acorns has acquired EarlyBird, an investment gifting platform for families, the company told TechCrunch exclusively. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. As part of the acquisition, EarlyBird will shut down, and all customer accounts will officially close on June 23. Customers&#8217; funds will be returned to the bank [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Roblox announced on Thursday that creators can now sell physical merchandise directly within their experiences and games on the platform with the launch of new Commerce APIs. The offering provides creators with a new way to generate revenue beyond the purchases of virtual goods or one-time fees to access specific experiences. The company began testing [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Apple Maps announced a collaboration with the MICHELIN Guide, The Infatuation, and Golf Digest to help users find recommended restaurants and golf courses in their area. Starting in the U.S., users will be able to filter their Maps searches to see restaurants with MICHELIN ratings, which denote exceptional dining experiences. But if you&#8217;re on the [&hellip;]</p>

<p>TikTok announced on Wednesday that it&#8217;s expanding its suite of accessibility tools by rolling out AI-generated ALT text for photos, a high-contrast mode, and support for device-level bold text preferences. TikTok introduced support for ALT text for photos a few weeks ago, allowing creators to provide descriptive text for photos to help users with screen [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Three years ago, I wrote about the Amazonification of Uber, an evolution of the transportation company into a closed business loop that feeds customers back into other Uber channels. At the time, the focus was on how Uber creates customer stickiness by, for example, actively cross-selling food delivery customers into grocery, and grocery into alcohol, [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Ride-hail and delivery giant Uber is introducing cheap, fixed-route rides along busy corridors during weekday commute hours in major U.S. cities &#8212; one solution to a world that feels, for most people, more expensive every day.  Starting Wednesday, riders in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco will be able to [&hellip;]</p>

<p>AI-powered notetaking app Granola is raising $43 million in funding at a $250 million valuation. It is also launching a team sharing feature.</p>

<p>As part of a broader app update, Airbnb on Tuesday introduced a new feature that allows travelers to book services and experiences, like getting a massage, haircut, or chef-prepared meal, or taking part in some activity. These new offerings can be added to your stay, but they can also be booked independently, Airbnb says. This [&hellip;]</p>

<p>TikTok is launching its first image-to-video AI feature, the company announced on Tuesday. The new feature is called &#8220;TikTok AI Alive&#8221; and allows users to turn static photos into videos within TikTok Stories. The feature is only accessible via TikTok&#8217;s Story Camera and uses AI to create short-form videos with &#8220;movement, atmospheric and creative effects,&#8221; [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Android users will have more ways to find their devices and other items, Google announced on Tuesday during the Android Show, a week before Google I/O 2025. The company says its Find My Device feature, which allows Android users to locate lost phones and other devices, will become known as &#8220;Find Hub&#8221; as it rolls [&hellip;]</p>

<p>During the Android Show leading up to Google I/O, Google on Tuesday offered a brief update on the adoption of the RCS (Rich Communication Services) protocol, an upgrade to SMS that offers high-resolution photos and videos, typing indicators, read receipts, improved group chat, and more. The company shared that the messaging standard now supports over [&hellip;]</p>

<p>At the Android Show on Tuesday, ahead of Google I/O, Google announced new security and privacy features for Android. These new features include new protections for calls, screen sharing, messages, device access, and system-level permissions. With these features, Google aims to protect users from falling for a scam, keep their details secure in case a [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Google on Tuesday unveiled its new Android design language, Material 3 Expressive, at the Android Show ahead of Google I/O. The update is designed to make your phone more customizable and fluid, the tech giant says. Material 3 Expressive brings new springy animations that Google says will make your phone feel more fluid. For example, [&hellip;]</p>

<p>During the Android Show on Tuesday, leading up to Google I/O 2025, Google announced that it&#8217;s bringing Gemini to Wear OS smartwatches and Google TV. The announcement is part of Google&#8217;s plans to replace Google Assistant with Gemini across all of its devices and platforms. Tuesday&#8217;s announcement doesn&#8217;t come as a surprise, as users have [&hellip;]</p>

<p>At the Android Show, taking place ahead of Google I/O 2025, Google announced that it is adding new device-specific features to its Advanced Protection program, which is designed to protect public figures such as politicians and journalists from different digital threats, with the Android 16 release. The new features include a new way of storing [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Audible, Amazon&#8217;s audiobook service, announced on Tuesday that it’s partnering with select publishers to convert print and e-books into AI-narrated audiobooks. This initiative aims to quickly expand its catalog as it competes with Apple, Spotify, and others in the rapidly growing audiobook market. Audible is leveraging Amazon&#8217;s AI capabilities to assist publishers in producing audiobooks. [&hellip;]</p>

<p>Meeting transcription is a hot commodity for all productivity suites. Companies like ClickUp and Zoom have added transcription with an AI summary to take on other upstarts in this vertical, including Read AI, Zoom’s assistant, Circleback, Granola, and Otter. The latest entrant in the race to build meeting transcription tools is Notion. The company is rolling out an AI-powered [&hellip;]</p>